University of Akron Cuts Three Sports Because of Crumbling Revenue

The financial devastation caused the Chinese and their Coronavirus they unleashed on the world continues. University of Akron has now cut three sports from their program to save money.

With its athletic budget being stretched and future funding uncertain, Akron dropped three sports May 14 in a cost-cutting move necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ohio school announced it will discontinue men’s cross country and golf and women’s tennis at the end of the academic year. Akron plans to reduce financial support to the athletic department by approximately 23% ($4.4 million), painful actions necessitated by the virus outbreak.

The loss of the three sports at Akron affects 23 male and nine female student-athletes, three coaches and one graduate assistant coach. The school will now have 17 sports — seven men’s, 10 women’s — and the Zips will remain a member of the Mid-American Conference, which earlier this week announced it is eliminating postseason tournaments in eight sports, including baseball and softball.

In addition, the MAC is scaling back its postseason basketball tournaments because of the financial crisis triggered by the coronavirus.